Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Impact - Ware, Pierce and Brantley counties face serious SUD/OUD challenges and layers of barriers toward improving prevention, treatment and recovery services to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with opioid and substance misuse. General access to healthcare, and especially access to addiction treatment and recovery services, is a challenge for rural residents in the target area. While there are several local providers with a buprenorphine waiver to prescribe Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), most are not serving at capacity, and some do not combine MOUD with complementary services such as individual and group counseling. Peer support services are extremely limited in all three counties. IMPACT project funds will be used to expand treatment, recovery and support services for justice-involved individuals with SUD/OUD. These services for the entire population are stretched thin, and justice-involved individuals face additional stigmatization due to incarceration and confront significant obstacles to accessing these services once released. Treatment service objectives are to expand access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)/Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services in Brantley County for adults with OUD, with priority on justice-involved adults, by providing on-site inductions in the outpatient clinic, establish co-occurring Behavioral Health and SUD/MOUD/MAT group treatment services in Brantley County and Pierce County for adults with co-occurring behavioral health. provide and coordinate behavioral health, SUD and MOUD/MAT treatment services for adult inmates in the Ware County Jail, establish a treatment service line to provide and coordinate social service linkage and Case Management/Addictive Disease Support Services (ADSS) behavioral health, SUD and MOUD/MAT treatment services for improved access in Brantley and Pierce counties, with a priority on individuals involved with the justice system and host a RESPECT training to support individuals in recovery from mental health and/or substance use challenges in developing skills to organize, construct and customize their personal recovery stories equipping them to share their stories. Workforce objectives include train IMPACT staff in evidence-based practices to further develop diverse scope of practice, facilitate training to jail staff on reducing stigma and incorporating peers in the workforce, and establish a voucher assistance program to assist peers with obtaining peer certification. Supportive Services objectives are establish a HOPE Coordinator (Certified Peer Specialist Preferred) at Okefenokee Alliance for the Homeless (OATH) to provide coordination of needed supportive social services treatment, food, housing, employment, transportation, medical care, etc. to meet the needs of individuals/families impacted by behavioral health, SUD and/or MOUD/MAT, establish a Healthcare Navigator role to assist individuals in enrolling in health insurance, assist with post-enrollment activities related to pre-authorization for services, provide coordination of needed supportive social services (i.e., MH/SUD/MOUD/MAT treatment, food, housing, employment, transportation, medical care, etc) to meet the needs of individuals/families impacted by behavioral health, SUD and/or MOUD/MAT with a focus on justice involved individuals, establish a client electronic application to provide easier access to scheduling services, requesting medical records, and electronic consents that will allow for greater flexibility with utilizing telehealth for appointments. Sustainability objectives are to maximize access to existing community resources for target population, provide technical assistance, data and resources to network members to increase their capacity to secure diverse revenue sources throughout the four-year grant period.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).